Acupuncture Treatment

Mouse acupoint location and acupuncture depth referenced the experimental acupuncture.¹⁸ Mice in the acupuncture group were intervened by Bushen Huoxue Acupuncture into the acupoints of “Baihui acupoint” (GV20), “Shenshu acupoint” (BL23), “Xuehai acupoint” (SP10) and “Geshu acupoint” (BL17). GV20 was located at the center of the parietal bone, and the needle was inserted into the epicranial aponeurosis. BL23 was located adjacent to the second lumbar vertebra. SP10 was located in the middle of the medial hind thigh, medial end of the metatarsal floor to the pubic symphysis 1/9. BL17 was located in the middle of the bilateral ribs under the 7th thoracic vertebra. At GV20, the needle was inserted obliquely to a depth of 3–4 mm. At BL23 and SP10, the needle was inserted perpendicularly to 2–3 mm depth. At BL17, the needle was inserted obliquely upward at an angle of 80° to 2–3 mm depth. For BL23, SP10 and BL17, the left side was acupunctured first, and then the right side was acupunctured the next day. Mice in the nonacupuncture control group were treated by stimulating the fixed non-point under the bilateral rib, while mice in the AD model group and normal control group were raised without special treatment but administered the stimulation of catching with the same time and the same stimulus intensity. All mice were intervened daily for 6 consecutive days, followed by one day of rest, for 8 consecutive weeks.